Billy:
Having rented and owned in the same general geographic area, I would say that you are money ahead to purchase a 150 or 152 rather than rent, with some provisoes:
First: You gotta fly the bird. If you don't fly much, rent.
Second: You need to start off with a solid airplane. If you get an airplane with a lot of problems, you will spend a lot of money, and selling an airplane, even a solid one, is more difficult than finding a good one to purchase.
Third: (Maybe first) stick with the 150/152. There is no less expensive way to fly.
Fourth: Shop for everything. Carl has negotiated a good deal with a parts supplier. Use it. Look for a good mechanic who LIKES to do owner-assisted annuals. And stay ahead of your maintenance items. Fixing a small problem early is a lot less expensive than fixing a larger problem later.
You can further reduce your out-of-pocket expenses by buying an airplane with a low to mid time engine (that has been flown regularly) and assume the airplane's value will be zero when the engine hits 1800 hours, and not contributing to an overhaul fund. I am not saying I recommend this approach, it is just one way of managing your flying expenses.
I further reduced my costs by having a partner. There are pitfalls, but with only two of us using the plane it is almost always available when I want to fly. My fixed expenses plus contribution to overhaul based on hours rarely exceed $300 per month. That leaves just fuel ...
Reg
